Jeff’s Famous Jerky

When Jeff Richards was just a hungry teen in the early 1970s, he realized his favorite snack – beef jerky – had the potential to be so much better. It was then that Jeff jump started his entrepreneurial career by buying his first ever dehydrator and began what would become thousands of hours of experimentation. Eventually, Jeff succeeded in creating beef jerky the way he envisioned it could be: intensely full of flavor, soft and tender with the taste and texture of a fine steak but without the chemical preservatives.

The Jeff’s Famous brand first launched their business during the Great Recession of 2010 with only a few thousand dollars. Today, the company is proud to say that they have sold millions of bags of Jeff’s Famous beef jerky. The Jeff’s Famous brand continues to expand by leaps and bounds through eight growing channels of distribution: wholesale to large distributors, direct-to-retail stores, vendors at events, direct-to-consumer online (via their web store powered by WooCommerce and storefront on Etsy), direct-to-consumer events, wholesale to online stores, two brick-and-mortar locations, and private label.

“Online methods drive roughly 85% of our business – not just in sales but also in how they attract customers in the first place,” says Jeff. “Local retailers who buy from us wholesale have also been instrumental to our brand recognition,” remarks Jeff. “They carry our jerky products in so many different places around town – from movie theaters to coffee shops – enabling us to consistently reach customers in different environments.”

Jeff looks forward to leaving the stresses, problems, and issues brought about by the coronavirus pandemic behind. “It’s a tough time for families and businesses all over the world,” he says, “We continue to do our best to look ahead and think positive toward a brighter future.”